Mind of Christ: Ep 2: Serve Without Status — Humility Lessons from Jesus

0:12 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host, Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent. Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed. Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought was possible. Enlarge her territory. Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment. Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent to silence her. This isn't just a podcast. This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

0:54 Hello, and welcome back to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we're continuing with our Faith on the Go series. We have learned that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That's why this space was created for your quiet moments, your work days, your communes, and those in-between places where your faith needs a refill. Faith on the go is for times when you're fighting battles not yet won, but already finished in Christ. It's for those who keep believing, those that keep pressing in and keep walking, even when the road gets long.

1:35 So whatever you are today, wherever you are today, settle in and let the word of God strengthen your faith. Today we're going to cover a day two, a mind of humility, servanthood over status. Key scripture today is found in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 7, and it reads, in your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in the same nature of God, did not consider himself equal with God, but something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.

2:21 Let's see this through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus, the son of God, the creator of heaven and earth, chose to walk among us, not as a king demanding honor, but as a servant demonstrating love. He never entered a room trying to be noticed. He entered to notice others. Let's take a check here. We as women love to be seen, am I right? But how about if we begin to notice other? How can we switch this humility into the mind of Christ when we're putting it into practical relationships? Humility wasn't something he practiced occasionally. It was his posture.

3:03 He could calm seas and command legions of angels, yet he bent down to wash dusty feet. On the night before his crucifixion, knowing full well that all power had been given to him, he rose from supper, removed his robe. Poured water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples' feet. John 13, 3-5. The king stooped low. The master served those who would later abandoned him. Even Judas, who would betray him, felt the touch of that towel.

3:44 Afterwards, Jesus said, I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you, John 13, 15. Humility wasn't weakness. It was strength under submission. He didn't lose his power by luring himself. He revealed himself. Commentary. True humility begins in the mind before it's seen in action. When Paul wrote, let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, he was describing more than an attitude. He was describing alignment. Jesus emptied himself. He laid aside reputation without losing identity.

4:28 He never forgot who he was. He just chose to love more than he needed to be recognized. Humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less. It's the quiet strength that allows you to serve without applause and love without limits. It's what makes you approachable, teachable, and usable by God. Luke 14, 11 reads, for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Humanity opens heaven's favor because it closes the door to pride.

5:09 When you humble yourself before God, you give him permission to lift you higher than self-effort ever could. Jesus never sought to impress. He sought to impact. I like to say he sought to leave an impact. He carried authority wrapped in gentleness and greatness wrapped in grace. So ask yourself here on this reflection questions here, do I seek recognition more than relationship? Can I serve even when unseen, when I'm unseen and unthankful? Am I willing to bend low so that Christ can shine high?

5:49 Remember the same anointed Jesus, the same God that who anointed Jesus to serve has anointed you to do the same. Remember the same power that's in Jesus is in us. Can you do this? Let's walk it out like Jesus. Serve without status. Look for one simple act of service today, something that benefits others more than it benefits you. John 13, 14-15 Stay teachable. Jesus learned obedience and wisdom as he grew. Luke 2, 52 Stay open to correction and growth, even from unlikely voices.

6:36 Guard your heart against comparison. Jesus didn't compete with John or the Pharisees. He stayed in his lane and fulfilled his call. John 5, verses 41 through 44. Number four, celebrate others' success. Rejoice when others are honored. Improve your humility and your security in Christ. Romans 12, 10. And finally, Romans, not finally, but number five. Remember the cross. The greatest display of humility was Jesus choosing suffering over self-preservation. Matthew 26, 53 through 54. The crown came only after the cross.

7:21 Let's take a pause and let's kind of review some of these things. Walking out like Jesus. How do you serve without status? You know the people who every time they do something, and they got to report it to the boss, make a big display about it. Oh, that was me. And it wasn't for you. Do you do that for you or for others? Remember, Bible says you had your reward. When you give yourself praise and you make a big deal about it, even when it was for somebody else, that's your reward. You got the attention you wanted. That's in Matthew 6. It says, stay teachable. Jesus learned obedience and wisdom as he grew. So we see here that teachable is a process.

8:01 You don't get it all at one time. You have to stay in obedience. You have to learn in wisdom. It's gradually, just as Jesus learned it gradually. And it says here, stay open to correction and growth, even from unlikely voices. God would use the most unlikely voices to humble you. And it's always seemed to be, we always say it's our enemy, but we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. It's just you expose yourself and God is going to close it up so that you can stay in your spot and not have to bow down to the enemy, right? So when he exposes you and you're fighting with flesh, stop it.

8:43 Fix it. Humble yourself and say, Lord, what did I do to deserve this? Did I open any doors? You know, and then that's the unlikely voice. that's helping make you strong. Guard your heart against the comparison. We have that so bad. Since social media has been out, we're looking at these people and we're thinking that they have more than what you have. So you started comparing apples to potatoes. In reality, you don't know if what they're showing you is true. It's a good skit, it's a good movie, it's a good whatever it is, but we don't know what's going on behind those closed doors. And so comparison is not your goal.

9:24 You should be able to walk in your lane and fulfill what God has called you to do. And you might not like what he's called you to do, but I'm telling you, if you stay in your place, stay in your lane, you will see the fruit of where he's taking you. Celebrate others. Honor them. We have a thing at our work where you can put someone's name in a box and they get a little certificate, well, not a little certificate, they get a certificate and a cash card just for being chosen. I think that's awesome, right? So you get to have a voice in this. And remember the cross, the greatest display of humility was Jesus choosing suffering over self-preservation.

10:08 The crown came after the cross. Jesus was a great example on how to be humble. But walk in that reserve power that he could break away anytime he wanted to. But he says, no, I'm going to endure this to the end. That teaches us that we can too. Because in the end, he received the crown. Remember, we are royalty. We're king priestly. We're from the priestly zone where we get a crown. Only if we stay and not give up. Let's pray. Father, thank you for sending Jesus to show me that humility is not weakness. It's divine strength under control.

10:50 Teach me to serve without seeking recognition, to listen before I speak, and to honor those as you have honored me. Strip away any pride or self-importance that block your grace in my life. Make me a vessel of quiet strength and pure love, reflecting your son in everything I do. Pray this in Jesus' name, amen. To create, I have the mind of Christ. I walk in humility and serve in love. I don't seek titles or recognition. I seek to reflect Jesus. Every act of service opens the door of divine favor. As I bow low, God lifts me high.

11:30 I'm going to leave you with this. Where can you demonstrate Christ-like humility today? In your home, in your workplace, or your relationship? How can you serve with joy even if no one sees it? How can you serve with joy even when no one sees it? Because we serve to an audience of one. Maybe it's the audience of three, right? The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. But we serve to an audience of one. and he said he will reward us. It's a reward as we obey, if we diligently seek him. We just got to read the small print, folks. You've been listening to Faith on the Go with your host, Connie Morris, from the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.

12:15 Thank you so much for listening. And I pray that this word energizes your faith and reminds you of God's promises. Remember, God will finish what he has started in you. And I'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out, I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14. Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So today we receive that truth.

12:57 You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray. You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found. So we pursue. You said you will restore us from captivity. So we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small. Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.